Monotheism
Review of the previous post
The previous post, post number 19 of 22 was post number 3 of 3 posts discussing the shift to monotheism in the Book of Exodus and viewed this shift as though the Book of Exodus occurred as written
Preview of this post
This post, post number 20 of 22, discusses the spread of Yahwism.
The spread of Yahwism
According to the Bible, once the people entered Canaan, Jewish Yahwism spread, with the principal force behind its spread being Samuel and David[1], with David making Jewish Yahwism the official religion of the Judahite era. After defeating the Philistines, David extended his power, and hence the Yahwist influence, and once he made Jerusalem both the political and religious capital of the unified kingdom, Jewish Yahwism was established.
Thus, as told by the Bible, under David, the state religion of Yahwism, reached into areas where it was hitherto unknown. In such areas, this new religion clashed with established religions. Instead of forcing people to reject their old gods, David integrated portions of Yahwism piecemeal. YHWH was recognized as the king of gods (El) but not the only god. This allowed people to retain their old beliefs and practices while covering all with an overall belief in Yahwism. This integration of various local cults of the god El into Yahwism began a process in which Yahwism was transformed from within. Little by little, YHWH took on the features and functions attributed by the local population and Canaanite culture to the supreme god El. YHWH was the creator, He was eternal, He was a warrior, He was the ultimate source of wisdom. This assimilation changed the image of YHWH.
With regard to the Northern Kingdom, devotion to and influence of Jewish Yahism reached an all-time low during the reign of Manassah (682-642 B.C.E.). The policies of Manassah were reversed by the leadership (Josiah) in Judah following the reign of Manassah and Jewish Yahwism was revived.
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The next post, post number 21 of 22 discusses the disappearance of Yahwism.
[1] It should be noted that the existence of an actual David is still not certain as there is a dearth, if not a near total absence, of archeological proof of such a person. Thus, the stories of David spreading Jewish Yahwism should be read taking this into account.